Almost as long as I’ve enjoyed beer, I’ve liked Trout River. I can’t remember if I tried in a bar — probably The Pub — or bought a pack from the store first, but I’ve always liked it. It tastes good to me and I like the label, which counts for about as much in beer as it does in wine. Choosing by label is how I do almost all my wine shopping; price plays a role, too, but after that narrowing, it’s all about an engaging label.

So I’ve always liked the Rainbow Red, partly because it’s the only one that seems to get out of the Northeast Kingdom in kegs. The one time I visited the brewery / pizza pub in Lyndonville, they had everything on tap and sold growlers to go. It was insanely crowded, but I think the experience was worth it.

Tonight, in the course of thinking about writing this post, I made the mistake of reading the comments over on BeerAdvocate. It’s like being told your favorite movie is a travesty of cinematic wrongness.

But that’s okay. I still like you, Trout River. Now would you please start selling twelve packs?